Biden Oval Office speech; Harris’ stance on Israel : NPR

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Today’s top stories

President Biden made a rare Oval Office address last night to discuss his decision to end his bid for reelection. He also laid out plans for the next six months of his presidency. Biden said he didn’t want to drop out of the presidential race, but the stakes were just too high to risk. Here are four takeaways from his speech.

• 🎧This is a monumental moment for Biden as it marks the beginning of the end of his long career in public life, NPR’s Tamara Keith tells Up First. In his remaining time, Biden plans to continue fighting for reproductive and civil rights, trying to lower costs and speaking out against extremism and political violence. As his time winds down, Keith says he will be remembered for what happens in the November election. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins, he’ll be remembered as “the rare president who put his party and country above his own ego.” If she loses, he’ll be the person who removed former President Donald Trump from office and then ushered him back in.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his administration’s war efforts yesterday in his first address to the U.S. Congress since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. He called on the U.S. to stand with Israel, urged Congress to fast-track additional military aid and vowed that his country would do “whatever it must” to defeat Hamas. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech, and thousands of protesters marched outside the Capitol. Netanyahu is expected to meet separately with Biden and Harris today and with former President Donald Trump tomorrow. The Israeli prime minister’s visit comes at a crucial time in American politics, as Harris looks to strike a delicate balance on Israel ahead of the 2024 election.

• 🎧 NPR’s Asma Khalid says that multiple people have told her that Harris shows a greater degree of empathy for Palestinian civilians than Biden. She was also one of the earlier people in the administration to show a less dismissive response to the pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S. Some Democrats who voted uncommitted during the primaries are now willing to give Harris a chance. But that doesn’t mean they will certainly vote for her. Khalid says that as Harris runs for president, she will need to avoid alienating Israel supporters while winning back some of the young, progressive brown and Black voters that Biden alienated with his actions.

In the upcoming election, Harris faces the fundamental challenge of holding together the broad coalition that Biden won in 2020. The problem: They have very different views on some issues. Aspects of her record, especially her time as a prosecutor in California, are under scrutiny. Here’s what one Democrat and one Republican in Pittsburgh have to say about the issue.

• 🎧 Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep has been speaking with voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania. A variety of people shared with him their split views on Harris’ prosecution record. A Democratic activist says many people who live in suburbs like her appreciate Harris’ emphasis on public safety. In a historically Black neighborhood, another person tells Inskeep they have mixed feelings about who Harris has incarcerated in the past. Sometimes civil rights groups and activists have clashed over her decisions. To hold together the Democratic coalition, she needs people who support law and order and those who are skeptical of it.

Today’s listen

This year, the annual Tiny Desk Contest received nearly 7,000 entries. Even though there could only be one winner, there was no shortage of talent displayed. NPR Music’s Bobby Carter, who has produced Tiny Desks for some legendary hip-hop artists such as Mac Miller and Noname, breaks down some of his favorite entries. Carter talks about how hip-hop acts stepped up their submissions this year and the versatility of the entries.

Life Advice

Tweens might not be getting enough sleep due to how they use their electronic devices before bedtime. Scientists looked at nearly 9,400 11- and 12-year-olds for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a long-term study of brain development and child health in the U.S. Researchers asked tweens and their parents detailed questions about how they used screens around bedtime and how well they slept. Then a follow-up was done a year later. Here’s how parents can help their kids have better quality sleep.

• 💤 No screens for an hour before bedtime.
• 💤 Turn phones all the way off at night. Don’t just put it on vibrate.
• 💤 Resist the urge to check your phone if you wake up in the middle of the night.
• 💤 Keep phones in another room at bedtime.

3 things to know before you go

1. The International Olympic Committee chose Salt Lake City for the 2034 Winter Olympics, but it could be too soon to celebrate. The IOC threatened to reject the city’s bid yesterday in an attempt to crush U.S. inquiries into Chinese sports doping.
2. Chipotle’s CEO is reminding workers to give customers big scoops after TikTokers suggested their servings have shrunk.
3. Researchers believe they have discovered “dark oxygen,” or oxygen not made through photosynthesis, being created on the Pacific Ocean floor. The discovery potentially challenges commonly held beliefs about how oxygen is produced on Earth.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.